Means for preventing self-ignition of airships and the like



Feb. 5 1924.

Filed Jan. 5. 1922 Fug IIIIIII I I l l l I I i l l I I I l ll Patented Feb. 5, 1924.

UNITED STATES GOTTLIEB DINKELA, OF CHARLOTTENBURG, NEAR BERLIN, GERMW.

MEANS FOR PREVENTING SELF-IGNITION OF AIBSHIPS AND THE LIKE.

Application filed January 5, 1922. Serial Ho. 527,167.

70-17? whomz't ma concern.

Be it known t at I, Go'rrmnn DINKELA, a citizen of the German Republic, residing at 16, Kuno Fischerstrasse, Charlottenburg near Berlin, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Preventing Self-Ignition of Airships and the like, of which the following is a specification.

The subject of the present invention is an arrangement for preventing self-ignition such as occurs in rapidly ascending airships. Such self-i ition is due to the electrical char ing and discharging of the condensate. Kn airship, filled with a gas at about the temperature of the atmosphere at the earths level, rises uickl into high, cold strata producing rapid conensation of the moisture in the gas.

Between 10 C. to 30 C. the number of degrees of heat corresponds approximately to the number of grammes of water contained in a cubic metre of fully saturated gas. As the gas in the container is in continuous contact with the moisture, i. e., is fully saturated, a modern airship of, for example 60,000 cubic metres filled at 30 C. absorbs with the air 60,000X30=1,800,000 rammes or 1,800 kilogrammes of moisture. This moisture almost completely condenses on the gas becoming cooled to 0 C.

Under normal conditions there are now contained in the air or in the gas 1,250 positive and 1,000 negative ions per cubic metre, the former of which form condensation zones. From Slabys experiments increase of the tension in the drops of moisture forming is inversely proportional to the difference between the size of the new surface formed on the conjunction of two equally large bubbles of moisture and of the sum of the surfaces of the original bubbles. The charge distributed over a large space at the earths surface is thus condensed within the drops of moisture and increases in tension the greater the diameter of the drops (0. f. large rain drops). The normal electrical field amounts at sea level to about 150 volts: at a height of one kilometre it amounts only on the average to about 25 volts; at a height of 6 kilometres it will be only about 8 volts and at the highest the sum of the volta amounts to 200 kilovolts at a height o% 1 0 kilometres (according to Toepler).

The air ship having a comparatively high tension at the earths surface ascends to hi her strata of air where the electrical fie d is weaker and exceedingly high tensions are developed on the dro s of moisture by condensation, the di erence between the tensions within the airship and the weaker field of the surrounding atmosphere resulting in discharges into the surrounding electrical field, these dischar 5 either being partial discharges or total charges forming fatal sparks. Thus it happens that many airships suddenly burst into flames.

The present invention has 'for its object to bring the potential of the ship as rapidly as possible to that of its surroundings and thus to keep the potential difference within the smallest limits.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood, reference will be made to the accompanying drawing, in which the subject of the invention is applied by way of example to a rigid metal airship, e. a ship of the Zeppelin-type, and in which Big. 1 is a front view and Fig. 2 a side view, wllilile Fig. 3 is a section through one of the ce s.

The airship illustrated in the drawing consists of the internal metallic body 0, containing a series of cells a for the hydrogen as, only one of which, however, is shown. ach cell a is provided in its lower part with an electrically conducting net-work I) while on the outer surface of the envelope f, surrounding the metallic body 0 a second electrically conducting net-work d carrying a system of radiating points 0 is arranged. The net-work b and the system of radiating points e are in electrical connection, for instance by the intermediary of the metallic body 0 of the airship.

With wooden airshi bodies only the outer net-work is provi ed.

The condensed moisture from the as falls on the walls of the cell a giving its e ectrical charge thereto, which is accumulated by the net-work b in the lower part of each cell, from where the electricity is conducted by the intermediary of the metallic body 0 to the system of radiating oints e, carried by the outer net-work 41 mounted er;- ternally on the envelope f.

By the arrangement described the electrical charge of the condensate is discharged, not as hitherto in uncontrollable partial-discharges nor in total discharges into space producing sparks, but to thesystem oi raexternal surfaces of the envelope and adaptdiating points and therefrom gradually and ed to radiate the electricity into the space therefore safely into space and means adapted to electrically connect 15 What "I claim is: the saiclnot-Work in the gas containers with 6 In means for preventing self-ignition of the said system of points.

airships the combination of an electrically In testimony whereof I aflix my signature conducting net-Work arranged. in the lower in presence of two Witnesses.

part of the gas-containers and adapted to accumulate the electricity transmitted by GOTTLIEB DINKELA. 10 the water drops formed by the condensation 'Witnesses:

of the moisture of the filling medium of the RIC D Tnocrinnnne'r,

airship, a s ystem of points arranged on the JOBKW. BULISLEY. 

